Tobacco pouch



United States Patent 1 3,536,189

[72] Inventor John P. Gallagher FOREIGN PATENTS 2 Formal! RIL, washinston, District of 13,559 2/1934 Australia 2-29/65 Columbil 200 734,936 8/ I955 Great Britain 229/65 1969 Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leelair Patented Oct 27, 1970 Attorney-Stowe and Stowell [54] TOBACCO POUCH 7 claims6nrawing Figs. ABSTRACT: A deformable tobacco container or pouch in- [52] U.S. Cl 206/41, eluding an access opening and at least one preferably a 229/65 rality of pipe cleaners removably attached to and carried by Int. the pouch in proximity to and at least substantially coextenofSearch give the opening the cleaners when positioned 4 l 37, 48.5; 29/ 5. 7 serving as stiffening means for the pouch and operable, in conf ed junction with the pouch, to assist in maintaining the pouch [56] Re ereuces opening selectively open or closed, the pipe cleaners when dis- UNITED STATES PATENTS associated from the pouch being usable in a normal manner to 2,053,085 9/1936 Hunter 206/47 clean a pipe.

Patented Oct. 27, 1970 INVENTORY JOHN P GALLAGHER 5/,NJ/QZZJ/ ATTCYRNEYS rossccosoucu BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to containers or pouches for tobacco of a known type consisting of soft or flexible material, and which are closed along the edges with the exception of an access opening normally positioned at, or adjacent to, one edge thereof. Such pouches prepackaged with tobacco are extensively commercially sold and are conveniently carried and used by pipe smokers. This type of pouch additionally is relatively inexpensive to manufacture which enhances laleability. Pouches of this type normally are provided with closure means to assist in maintaining freshness of tobacco, and to diminish the likelihood of spillage of tobacco, especially in a user's pocket. Such closure means can consist, for example, of flaps integral with the body of the pouch which are foldable over the access opening to at least partially seal the opening and usually overlie the pouch body when in closing position. Other types of closures include multiple folding of the pouch, with or without a flat; fasteningmeans for securing a flap to a pouch body; pouches having tie means extendable about a pouch; removable sealing tear strips, etc.

Tobacco pouches of the above type are generally satisfactory for their designed use and purpose but do, in some instances, lack complete use satisfaction, including a desired relatively leak proof closure.

Convenience is also of importance to pipe smokers and in this connection availability of pipe cleaners is highly desirable, especially when away from home or the office, and provision has not heretofore been made toward a satisfactory solution in this regard.

Another drawback to tobacco pouches of the general type as hereinabove described resides in the inability of the pouch to maintain the access opening in closed or open positions due to lack of body strength or stiffness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved container or pouch for tobacco which, by its novel construction, overcomes the drawbacks of prior constructions.

The pouch of the invention has increased desirability to a pipe smoker due to an enhanced closure means, improved stiffness which facilitates maintaining an access opening in the pouch in open or closed position, and additionally provides convenience to a user and greater sales appeal without any substantial additional cost over pouches currently being manufactured, sold and used.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention when taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a container or pouch for tobacco in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing an access opening in open position;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the invention disclosing in more detail a closed condition of the pouch with additional closing means in operative position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with a stiffening means shown partially withdrawn from the pouch; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, a preferred form of the invention as disclosed in FIG. 1 includes a container or pouch for tobacco, generally designated 10, which is made of suitable soft or nonrigid material and constructed in a known manner, for example, from a rectangular piece of the material folded over upon itself to provide a front side 12 and a rear side 14, with a lower closed edge 16 formed in the folding step. The outer edges are secured to one another in any LII desired known manner such as by adhesive, mechanical means, or by heat sealing of plastic material. The method of securement of the edges does not form a part of the present invention and no further description is necessary.

The front and rear sides are not secured to one another at their upper edges 18 and 20, and form therebetween an access opening 22, to permit introduction of a pipe into a pouch containing tobacco, indicated at 24, for fillingof the pipe in a normal manner. The description of the structure hereinbefore is generally known and used in the art.

The present invention constitutes an improvement in, or over, known pouches, primarily in using means to stiffen an upper edge 18 and 20, for example, by rolling or folding an edge over on itself to form a pocket 26 in at least one side I2 or 14 at upper edge'18 or 20, and into which stiffening means consisting of at least one, and preferably a plurality of known pipe cleaners 28 are inserted. Pipe cleaners, as is known, consist of metal cores in the nature of twisted wire, and have a fabric pile covering the wire. The wire cores normally remain in a substantially linear configuration but are susceptible of being bent to any desired configuration, and will remain so bent until manually bent to a different configuration. Due to the inclusion of such stiffening means positioned adjacent to the access opening, the edges may be placed in a pouch closing and sealing relation, and will so remain until bent to an open condition of the access opening, as shown for example in FIGS. 3 and 6. FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 show the pouch in the closed condition.

The material of the pouch, after the rolling or folding of an upper edge can be secured in position by adhesives, heat welds, mechanical fasteners, or by any other desired manner.

In the preferred form of FIGS. 1 through 5, a plurality of pipe cleaners 28 are provided at both of the upper edges adjacent to access opening 22. This arrangement results in effective edge stiffness, as contemplated by the invention, and additionally a large number of pipe cleaners are available for a user of the pouch.

In order to enhance sealing of the pouch, the pipe cleaners are preferably longer than the width of the pouch and project beyond the side edges 30 and 32. This permits the pipe cleaners to be readily grasped, and the ends 34 and 36 are then folded around and over a side of the pouch, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, to assist in holding the access opening closed. When a pipe is to be filled the pipe cleaners are bent to a position of an open access opening.

As hereinbefore set forth, the pipe cleaners are removable and when removed can be used for their normal function. In FIG. 5, one pipe cleaner 28a is shown partially removed from a pocket. Preferably one or more pipe cleaners are left in the pockets of the pouch to permit use of one of their designed functions. It will be readily apparent that the pipe cleaners, as shown and described, in conjunction with the construction of the pouch, serve a dual function which has substantial merit both as regards an improved pouch and a convenient reservoir for pipe cleaners.

While the preferred construction utilizes pipe cleaners at both edges of the access opening, this is not necessary to utilization of the principles of the invention. A modification is shown in FIG. 6, wherein pipe cleaners 28 are attached to the pouch at one upper edge 18 or 20 only. Otherwise construction and use are the same.

Iclaim: V

l. A tobacco container or pouch of relatively soft flexible material having an access opening therein, removable stiffening means secured to said pouch along the marginal edges of the pouchs access opening, said stiffening means comprising at least one elongated pipe cleaner having sufficient stiffness to assist in maintaining said access opening in a closed position or in an open position, and having sufficient flexibility to permit bending thereof to said positions, said pipe cleaner being removable from said-pouch and thereafter being usable for cleaning a pipe.

wherein at least'one said edge 7 V a pocket for said removable stiffening means. I

2. A tobacco container or pouchvas" claimed in claim 1,

wherein said access opening is defined by and between op- -positely disposed edges on sides of said pouch. 5 t

3. fA tobacco container or pouch as claimed in claim 2 being rolled upon itself to form posite side of said pouch to secure said access opening in a closed position. V g

7.1A combination container andtobacco pouch comprising 1 an open top bodyof a relatively soft flexible material, and

4. A tobacco container or pouch as claimed in claim} and 3 wherein pockets are formed on both said opposite edges and said stiffening means are'removably contained in said pockets.

SpA tobaccocontainer or pouch as claimed in claim 4,

wherein said removable Tstiffeningmeans are substantially coextensive with said pockets.

6. A tobacco container or pouch as claimed .in claim '4 wherein said removable stiffening means have a length greater than that of said pockets and extend beyond the ends of said pocket, and are foldable over and around said edges to an opi being bendable into a pouchopened or closed position, and it having sufficient stiffness and rigiditywhen so bent toremain in a said position, said pipe cleaners "being removable from said receptacle and when removed from the receptacle being thereafter usable for cleaning apipe in a normal manner. 

